Former Bears D-Line Coach Mike Phair to Rejoin Lovie Smith

Former Chicago Bears defensive line coach Mike Phair has agreed to become the assistant defensive line coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a move that reunites him with Love Smith, a source told Sports Talk Florida on Wednesday.

Phair served as an assistant defensive line coach under Smith in Chicago starting in 2011 and was later promoted to defensive line coach when Rod Marinelli departed for Dallas. Phair survived the Lovie Smith-Marc Trestman regime change in 2013 but was let go after one season.

Phair has a long history with Smith, who served as his position coach at Arizona State. He also has a history with Tampa Bay, spending three years working in the team’s scouting department, including the Bucs’ Super Bowl XXXVII championship season in 2002.

He followed former Bucs exec Tim Ruskell to Seattle in 2005, spending three seasons as an area scout for the Seahawks. He then jumped into coaching, becoming assistant linebackers coach in 2008, assistant defensive line coach in 2009 and defensive assistant in 2010.

Auburn wide receiver Sammie Coates had a special message for his doubters at the NFL Scouting Combine, those who are doubting his hands despite his physical prowess. Sammie Coates just had a drop on a deep ball. M